


Spark of Joy

by madamewriterofwrongs



Series: Buddie First Kiss Week [6]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Buddie First Kiss Week, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Family talk, Fire Fam - Freeform, First Kiss, Gen, M/M, Mistletoe fun, Pre-Relationship, Sibling Love, Soft Eddie Diaz, Soft evan buckley, Soft maddie buckley, Tumblr Prompt, biddie first kiss week 2020, everyone gets to be happy, with an audience
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:46:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24572506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madamewriterofwrongs/pseuds/madamewriterofwrongs
Summary: Buck loved Christmas. He loved the lights, the festivity, the crazy calls – because there were always crazy calls at Christmas. But most of all: Buck loved the time he got to spend with his family. Not his actually family, mind you (he spoke to his mother once or twice a year and they hadn’t visited since he’d moved to L.A.). But the 118. They were his family. And he loved celebrating Christmas with them.____________________________________Christmas 2021 with the FireFam. Buck and Maddie reflect a little and get to enjoy the family they've found in L.A.Buddie First Kiss Week Day 6: With an Audience
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan "Buck" Buckley & Maddie Buckley
Series: Buddie First Kiss Week [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1769068
Comments: 11
Kudos: 105
Collections: 9-1-1 Tales





	Spark of Joy

**Author's Note:**

> This is barely a Buddie fic and more of a FireFam feels but this made me happy to write. Have a little Christmas fluff in the midst of June chaos. We need a little something to look forward to, right? 
> 
> Enjoy!!
> 
> Check out my tumblr [madamewriterofwrongs](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/madamewriterofwrongs/blog/madamewriterofwrongs)

Christmas.

Buck loved Christmas. He loved the lights, the festivity, the crazy calls – because there were always crazy calls at Christmas. But most of all: Buck loved the time he got to spend with his family. Not his actually family, mind you (he spoke to his mother once or twice a year and they hadn’t visited since he’d moved to L.A.). But the 118. They were his family. And he loved celebrating Christmas with them.

It didn’t hurt that there were so many dinners and parties around that time of year, that he never had time to think about going home to his empty apartment, or worry about waking up on Christmas morning alone. Those thoughts could be saved for the darkness of his apartment as the clock struck midnight.

For now, Buck was happy to don his Santa hat and hand out presents to the station’s kids who had gathered around him. The smiles on their faces, the absolute joy and wonder as they unwrapped their gifts: it made it all worth it.

Buck made it his job at the station Christmas party to be on kid patrol – not that it was much of a job. It meant a little bit of creativity and a lot of watching the staircase but it was also a gift to his friends so they wouldn’t have to worry about their children for a few hours.

Every once in a while, Buck would look up to make sure everyone was still smiling and happy; and to generally take in the warmth of the station loft. It was rarely silent but it had never been filled with so many people and so much laughter. The loft was for being together and this year, they were.

All too soon, it was getting dark and even the children were getting tired of running around, clinging to their parent’s legs – the universal sign that it was time to go home. Buck hugged a few in goodbye or waved as they sleepily thanked him for playing. Slowly, the masses started to trickle out of the station, and Maddie came up to stand next to her brother, as he fondly watched them all leave.

“You’re gonna be a good dad someday.”

Buck gave her a shy smile in response, his mind lost in thought. Of course he’d thought about it – he loved kids, he really did. But he never could silence the voice in the back of his mind that said _if you screw them up, you can’t take it back_. And so, he turned to his sister and opened his arms.

“I’ll settle for being a great Uncle Buck.” Maddie rolled her eyes but placed the sleeping infant in his arms. And when he looked down at the little one in his arms, he forgot about his insecurities and thought about the wonderful future this child had. How grateful he was to play even small part in his upbringing.

“Buck!” A familiar pair of arms knocked into his thigh and he carefully looked over his shoulder, bringing a finger to his lips to silence Christopher.

“Hey buddy, I thought you were headed home.”

“We are.” Eddie came up behind his son, placing a hand on his shoulder. “He just wanted to say goodnight to his _second favourite_ firefighter.” He ruffled the kid’s hair and gave him a pointed look like the two of them had been discussing who, in fact, was Christopher’s favourite firefighter.

“Dad.” The boy’s scolding was answer enough.

How could Buck resist that smile? He knelt down to his favourite ten-year-old’s level and tilted his sleeping nephew for Christopher to see. The boy beamed down at the newest addition to his extended family. “Thanks for coming to the party.” Buck kept his voice soft and warm. “I had a great time hanging out with you today.”

Christopher just smiled wider and Buck’s heart melted all over again. “Same time next year.” The boy declared.

“You got it. But until then, I will see you next Saturday. Star Wars marathon, remember? And you get to stay up past midnight.”

Eddie made a small noise of protest though his smirk was one of amusement. “I never promised that.”

Buck just looked up at him with a playful grimace. “I think you just did.”

While Christopher was busy laughing at his dad, Buck pulled him close to kiss his hair before rising to his feet. “Alright. Goodnight, buddy. I’ll talk to you later.” He looked at Eddie. “And I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Eddie gave an exaggerated nod of approval. “Oh yes. One afternoon with zero children is exactly what the doctor ordered.” He seemed to remember who was standing under him and looked down apologetically. “Not that I don’t love you, kid.”

“Sure, dad.” Christopher looked up at his father and gave his best smirk – for a ten-year-old slowly getting too tired to stand, he was still sassy as ever. And that was Eddie’s cue to grab his son and head home.

“Goodnight, guys.” He waved with his free hand, the other holding tightly to the child at his hip. Soon, he would be big for his father to hold him and Eddie wasn’t going to miss a single opportunity.

Buck watched them leave with a smile full of hope and love for that kid, all the while holding his nephew tightly to his chest.

Maddie, still standing next to her brother, caught herself yawning. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I may be too old for back-to-back parties.”

He rolled his eyes at her. “Well one: these aren’t exactly the ragers you went to in college – although get a couple of shots into Hen and we’ll see.” The siblings shared a small laugh. “And two: you can’t really back out of this one since it’s at your place.”

Maddie gave a long, suffering sigh then made a grabbing motion towards the child still miraculously sleeping in her brother’s arms. He passed him back with practiced ease. “I know. And I know it was my idea. But I am operating off three hours of sleep so I’m allowed to be grumpy about it.”

“As is your right.”

The Buckley’s watched the last of the party-goers as they made their extended goodbyes and cleared the tables. This had been a long time coming for them: the contentment. The happiness of being around people they loved and being able to bask in it. Sometimes one or both of them would catch a hint of insecurity; they were both waiting for the other shoe to drop. But other times (times like this) they were simply content.

“So, are you bringing anyone to the party?”

Buck rolled his eyes. He’d been waiting for this question all day. “No one to bring.”

“What happened to…what’s her name?”

“Exactly.” The girl he hadn’t been seeing long enough to introduce to his friends and family. “We just didn’t click.”

Maddie bit her lip as she considered her words. “Look, I know you don’t need a relationship to feel ‘happy’ and ‘fulfilled’.” Something they had both been working on since coming to L.A. (with varying degrees of success). “But I wonder if you miss having… someone.” _Someone._ Companionship of the romantic kind that indicated something more physical and intimate that Maddie was _not_ going to say around or about her baby brother. But also, companionship of the romantic kind that she got to come home to every day. The _love_.

Buck automatically looked down at his nephew and smiled. Leaning in to catching the slightest fluttering of the infant’s eyelids ( _he wondered what he might be dreaming about. Did babies dream?_ ). He told his sister: “Not that I’m ever lacking for company.” But then his face turned somber as he considered her words. “But yeah, maybe I miss that…spark. It’s been awhile.”

Maddie watched her brother as he cooed over the child in her arms. She’d meant it: he was going to be a good dad because he cared _so much_ – a quality he hadn’t inherited from their parents (or perhaps he’d inherited every ounce of caring and left none for them). And if a child was all he truly wanted, she would happily send him over to Hen for advice on fostering. But her baby brother was lonely, even if he was happy. She could see it in the longing looks he sometimes gave to Bobby and Athena, Hen and Karen, and even her and Chimney. He wanted that.

“I hope you find it, Evan.” She hadn’t meant to say it out loud but the soft smile he gave her in return was reward for her misstep.

\--

Come 3pm the next day, the adults only party (though they weren’t allowed to get too crazy because most of them were driving) was in full swing. The Buckley/Han residence had been turned into an open floor plan, tables and chairs tastefully moved out of the centre of the apartment, so there was room to dance and mingle.

Bobby, ever the cook, offered to bring hot appetizers in addition to the potluck of store-bought chips and veggies that took up the kitchen counter and dining room table. He spent time – too much time according to Chimney’s protests – in their kitchen preparing food and restocking empty trays. But he was in his element and happy to help. Besides, he loved getting to stand outside and watch his team from time to time. Watch them be together and happy. _Like a family_.

Athena came in and out to help him, but she was too excited to be out of the house and around people she loved to stay in one place for too long. The year since her attack was hard and eye-opening and for one day, she wanted to not have to think about the future. So, she didn’t.

Chimney and Maddie played their part of hosts well, making sure to spend time with all their guests, and trading off whose turn it was to check on the baby in the next room. They’d quickly found a rhythm of parenting that neither thought would come naturally to them. There had been some mishaps – some comical, most just messy – but they were figuring it out together.

Eddie spent most of his time in the middle of the room, a drink in his hand, feeling the weight of the last few years melt off his shoulders. There were days – days when he missed his family back in Texas – that he wondered if uprooting his life and moving to L.A. was the right decision. But Christopher was well taken care of, thriving in the coastal city. And he had a new family around him, one he had come to trust and love as much as his own. This was exactly where he wanted to be.

Hen and Karen spent a lot of time in the corner, sitting on the couch tucked against the wall, chatting with whoever would stop by. Leaving two energetic children at home meant the couple just wanted to rest a little. That didn’t stop Hen from plying her wife with a new drink every hour or so. She knew they both needed to relax (and if Karen was known to rant about the nerdiest things when she was tipsy, that was just an adorable bonus).

Buck, ever the butterfly, bounced between stations like a relay race; checking to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves. He struck up a conversation with Albert, greeted Michael’s new boyfriend while trying to place where they’d met before (they’d passed in the hospital a number of times during Buck’s _many_ visits). He kissed Carla’s cheek because he’d finally convinced her to come out to celebrate and let Eddie’s Abuela spend quality time with her great-grandson. He even exchanged a few facts with Karen about space exploration – which may have devolved into a debate about what kind of alien life was out there (not _if_ , just what kind). He and Josh stood on either side of Maddie, exchanging embarrassing stories, and generally teasing the pants off of their “big sister” who looked ready to either laugh or chop someone’s head off (maybe both).

The apartment was buzzing with life in a way it hadn’t in a long time. It made everyone feel a little giddy and warm even without the responsibly-flowing alcohol. It was just Christmas settling into their bones.

So maybe when some of them noticed the mistletoe strategically hanging near the window, they took advantage of the joy in the air.

Athena casually called Bobby out of the kitchen to ‘help her clear dishes’ and pulled him under the greenery for a secret peck that earned a whistle from a few of their friends.

Karen pulled a similar stunt a few minutes later (though less subtle and less of a peck).

Albert accidentally wandered into the line of fire and got caught by Carla, who held out her cheek in a friendly gesture.

At one point, Maddie caught Chimney as he was coming out of their bedroom, having checked to make sure their son was still asleep. She pulled him into a sweet, slow kiss that was full of smiles and giggles.

Eddie was returning his empty bottle as Buck was coming out with a fresh tray of fruit – because, of course he would help Bobby – and they bumped shoulders, pausing to steady their weight.

“Ooh. Look whose caught under the mistletoe.” Carla was enjoying that way too much.

Buck looked up to confirm her callout then looked at Eddie who seemed to be doing the same thing. Oddly enough, the apartment had grown quiet and the pair realized that all eyes were on them. When they made eye contact there was a silent conversation that passed between them.

_I’m game if you are._

Eddie opened his arms to his friend, offering the biggest mocking smile he could muster. Buck put the platter on the counter beside him, leaning in with the same obnoxious smile. Eddie grabbed Buck’s face as their lips met, holding on for just a second before they released with an exaggerated smack.

And then they were parting and smiling at each other, just so full of life. A joyful cheer rose up from the crowd. But Buck found himself caught for just a millisecond on the spark that still tingled on his lips. He was back to reality before anyone noticed but he held his friend’s gaze for a moment longer.

“Ugh, two men, that is disgusting.” The pair looked at Hen but couldn’t hold back their laughter. The same silent discussion passed between them and without warning, they were each grabbing one of Hen’s arms and pulling her under the mistletoe with them. Before she could protest – not that she would – they each kissed her cheek with the same sloppy, giddy smiles they’d had all afternoon. She playfully batted them away and the trio parted, as laughter continued to fill the apartment.

Buck grabbed the tray and completed his mission of replenishing the table snacks. As a reward, he grabbed a fresh bottle of beer and found a spot to lean next to his sister. He didn’t have to look at her to know she was smirking in his direction. That look that said ‘I know exactly what you’re thinking and it’s funny as hell but only because I’m your sister’. Buck took a long sip and kept his eyes out over the partygoers.

But Maddie just had to say something.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Nope.”

“Do you want to ask what ‘it’ is?”

“Nope.”

He wanted to talk about it – wanted to ask what ‘it’ was – but not today. Today things were good and happy and _content_ and the last thing he wanted to do was think. So, he tabled their conversation for a day that wasn’t meant for such certainty and hope.

Beside him, Maddie watched her brother’s profile and saw the tick of his jaw as he repressed his thoughts. But they weren’t replaced with sad or lonely thoughts, she observed. They were filled with light and life. And so she let it go with a fond shake of her head. “You are hopeless.”

Buck only pretended to be offended, bumping her shoulder playfully only to receive a light punch in the shoulder. The siblings settled into silence again, their eyes wandering the room. Soon, it would be time for everyone to go their separate ways. And soon the apartment would be silent and the furniture would need to be moved back into place. Buck thought about the overnight bag currently sitting in Maddie’s guest room and even if he hated that lumpy mattress, he was secretly very happy that he wouldn’t wake up alone tomorrow. They would at least get to spend the morning together before Maddie went off to work (for a short shift, Sue’s orders) and left her ‘three favourite boys’ alone to do what they wanted. Even if there was still a voice that whispered: _you’re intruding on their Christmas together,_ he worked to ignore it.

Maddie had promised he wouldn’t be left behind again and just this once, he wasn’t going to let his own mind get in the way of their progress. No, Buck was going to enjoy his time with the family he’d cultivated with hard work and love. And some other day, he’d wonder if there was something to the way Eddie looked over his shoulder to make sure Buck was still there – and smiled when he saw him. Or if the flutter of his heart had anything to do with the blush in the other man’s cheeks. But not today.

Today, he got to be…good. Great. He found himself looking over at his sister fondly, remembering the years when they didn’t talk or see each other. He didn’t know what she was going through then and even now, he didn’t know the full extent of what she’d endured. But he was going to protect her and keep her safe because that’s what siblings did. He was going to make sure she was happy, and right at this very moment, she really, really was.

She caught his eye, and her curious look was marked with her own softness for the little brother she’d run to in her time of need; because she knew that she could.

Buck smiled.

“Merry Christmas, Maddie.”


End file.
